Substrate for Taricha granulosa

[karin]

What kind of moss is prefered by taricha grans? I need some kind of substrate for the land area.. which at the moment has smooth gravel, I'd like some moss or something like it to cover the gravel.

 

[edward]

Not sphagnum or peat moss. personally I would use finely ground cypress mulch.


Ed

 

[karin]

Any idea where I could find some?

 

[ali]

Does Wal-mart have that? And how big is your land area? I use Java moss on my floating corkbark and just be sure all the edges hang in the water. It's lived since last October so I suppose it likes it that way. It stays pretty wet.

 

[pin-pin]

Hello Karin,

If the land area is separate from the water area (aka, does not flow into the water area), cypress mulch (as Ed mentioned) or "coconut bark" (they sell it in most pet shops, you just have to add water and rinse it a few times) will work out well. If the land portion is mostly wet, draping java moss over the land portion works well.

There are good pictures for ideas for your tank, if you need here: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/setups.shtml

 

[karin]

It is semi wet... the gravel is about 1/4 of an inch above the water. The water area covers 3/4 of the tank. Thank you for your help!